Tank turned 49 this year

[Paul B]

I don't have to much to report today except that I volunteered at the Long Island Aquarium yesterday (Atlantis)
It was my first day volunteering. First they had me washing the sharks, then I painted murals on the sea turtles. OK, I didn't do any of that. I did have to stand by the sting ray pool and tell the two year olds how to feed the rays. The rays have this weird nose apparatus that all the kids insist on putting the food. But that just makes the Rays sneeze as their mouth is way down under their body. That was fun.

Then I was at the touch tank where the little kids can touch the "sea stars" (we can't call them starfish any more because the starfish complain that it is not PC because as they are not fish)
It was a Wednesday so only two kids came over to touch anything and they were both to scared to stich their hands in the water.

After that I stood for an hour in a corridor doing nothing, but it was great because there was a bench there and I have to rest my aluminum knee occasionally. I was supposed to tell the people how they rescue turtles and sea lions for rehabilitation so they can be released to the sea. They have a full hospital now as about 200 cold stunned turtles were found and saved.

The bird exhibit was not for me. The birds squalk to much and I have tinnitus from Nam so I can't take that high pitched noise (It feels like Philip screwdrivers pushed through my head) so they put me in the butterfly and bug room. I liked that as it was quiet. Butterflies may make noise but if they do, I couldn't hear them. No one was in there but me and the beautiful butterflies. I just had to move the butterflies off the walkway and pick up the ones that croaked. They only live a week or so, so they drop like flies, or butterflies.

Then it was off to the shark tank where I learned that the smaller nurse shark, which is about 5' belonged to Tracy Morgan from SNL. He got it from those guys on that show "Tanked" who thought it would be a good idea to put a nurse shark in a home aquarium. They get like 10' long.

So it was fun and I will go there again when I get some time.

 

[Paul B]

I just fed my tank and unfortunately I have nothing to write. I wish something would have a spot or a black area, sucking air from the surface, tumor, strange growth from it's ear, Carpal tunnel syndrome, irritable bowel disease, something. But I got nothing. My mandarins are still fat and doing what they do. Burping. The 3 pipefish are still having pipe dreams and they seem very healthy. The anemone crabs are doing anemone stuff, filtering stuff out of the water. The water seems fine, the algae isn't growing over the corals, the cyano is just a tiny bit, the snails are bored to death and the pods must be partying, as I can just about hear the music.

I also fed my whiteworms today. They eat a slice of whole wheat bread with yogurt every week and they also seem fine as they re-produce quite a lot. They probably learned from my Fireclowns that breed like Kangaroos.

Maybe one of them will get mononucleosis soon so I have something, anything to report. ​

 

[Paul B]

Tomorrow I have an emergency visit with my knee doctor. At this point I am supposed to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or at least walk around a Hardware store looking for a nose ring. But after about 50 yards, the thing locks up and I start walking like Neil Armstrong on the moon, and that was way before Michael Jackson invented Moon Walking.

I think maybe he left a loose toggle bolt or put the thing in backwards because I can walk backwards pretty good.

I hope he doesn't have to tear the thing out because I think he threw away my old knee so he can't put that one back.
I have a Caribbean trip coming up soon and I need two knees to dive. If you dive with only one knee working, you tend to swim in circles. ​

 

[DaveK]

Having nothing to write about your system, nothing to report is about the best sign of success you can have in a system. I'm sure many others wish they had nothing to write about or report on.

The knee problem seems simple. Most likely it just needs a shot of WD-40, and everything will be fine.

 

[Paul B]

Usually my tank "problems" are floods, electrical shorts, fish jumping out or RAP music.

 

[Paul B]

I am going to the Dr. in a little while. I always make sure to put on new underwear because my Mother used to tell me that if the Doctor sees you and you don't have on new underwear, he won't treat you.

I am not sure if the Knee Doctor will see my underwear but I put on new ones anyway, just in case.

In a little over two weeks my reef will be 48 years old. I would like it to make 50 and so far, it seems like it may. ​

 

[Paul B]

I just came back from the Knee guy and it seems only 1 or 2% of his patients get this. Guess which percent I am?

He said it is rare and I got a bad case of it. Thats Great!!!.
I wanted to be in the One percent with this.

It seems that a ligament that runs along side your knee is rubbing up against the titanium implant and it doesn't like it so it is irritated. So am I.

Now I have to take this heavy duty steroid and one of the side effects is Knee pain. You can't make this stuff up.

Then I have to go for knee injections. I thought the reason for getting a knee replacement was so you don't have to get any more knee injections.

But I guess this time the needle is filled with WD-40.

 

[Pancho75]

I just came back from the Knee guy and it seems only 1 or 2% of his patients get this. Guess which percent I am?

He said it is rare and I got a bad case of it. Thats Great!!!.
I wanted to be in the One percent with this.

It seems that a ligament that runs along side your knee is rubbing up against the titanium implant and it doesn't like it so it is irritated. So am I.

Now I have to take this heavy duty steroid and one of the side effects is Knee pain. You can't make this stuff up.

Then I have to go for knee injections. I thought the reason for getting a knee replacement was so you don't have to get any more knee injections.

But I guess this time the needle is filled with WD-40.

OMG!, I don’t if I should feel sorry for you or laugh!

I hope you get better soon.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DaveK]

Look at that, @PaulB is a member of the 1%. (just teasing)

Getting serious, I hope they get this all fixed for you. Stuff like that is no fun. This reminds me of a quote I love "I hasten to laugh at everything, for fear of being obliged to weep."

Life just seems to get us in strange ways at times.

 

[Paul B]

I should have done this myself because this is what happens when you hire someone. If you want it done right, you should do it yourself.
The only reason I didn't do that is that I need two hands to use the saw to cut out my old knee and I also need two hands to put my fingers in my ears because my screaming may scare me.
I also would have installed a grease fitting and maybe an adjustment screw. I would have gotten a good American made adjustment screw and not one from Home Depot where their screws come from China and are made out of old I Phone 3s.

 

[DaveK]

Your closer than you might think on screws and other fasteners from the big box stores. Often the quality is way down there. Years ago I bought a box of 1 1/4 #8 wood screws, and the slot in the head were not centered on about 70% of them.

You got to be especially careful with any screws used in an iPhone. Most all of them are unique to the product, and you need yet another special tool to use them. (grin)

 

[Paul B]

I know all about Home Depot hardware and don't buy that junk. I recently found a place that sells American drill bits and hardware, what a difference.

 

[Paul B]

We are in this new home and our tastes changed a lot since we were young during the Cretaceous period. We always had modern. I wanted my house to look like the StarShip Enterprise. I already look like Capt. Picard so what the heck.
But now we are going for more industrial/Steampunk.

We were looking for an vintage factory window for my wife's bathroom and we just received it. The frame is in very bad shape but I will not replace it as I am looking for that. I need to stabilize it so it doesn't fall apart as it is even hard to pick up because pieces fall off. The wood that doesn't fall off is cracked so much like an alligator that one neighbor ran away as I was carrying it in.

It has some design etchings in it and the center pulls open. I will install it in the room with LED strips behind it.

I am painging the frame black but I "alligatored" the paint on the frame so it still looks very old. I did some test pieces of wood to see what looks best. I don't want it to look like it was just painted but I also can't use the existing frame color which is sort of like the bottom of Columbus boat. It just doesn't go but they thing should look very cool.

This side of the frame is the "Good side"

 

[DaveK]

Hi Paul, Is this window something that is going to be decorative and just hang on the wall or is it something that is going to be a functional window?

 

[Paul B]

It will not be a functioning window as we don't like freezing to death. It will be set in like a real window but it is just for looks.


My bathroom will be more industrial with a lot of diamond plate and industrial fixtures. I also will get a few Pin Up posters from WW-2 along with Rosie the Riveter (I love that picture)

This will be our last home (before the inevitable) so we are having fun decorating.

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday we went to the City to see the Grand Kids. That was uneventful, but when we got home My package arrived. It was a strip LED light for over my kitchen cabinets. (not everything is for fish tanks)
I ran the electric up there a few days ago (I know an electrician )

So I installed the thing and it really looks beautiful. It can change colors and also makes a nice night light when we watch Re runs of
the Sonny and Cher show.

Anyway, as we were watching Siren on TV (very cool show about Mermaids) my wife asked me to put it louder which I did.
The over the cabinet LEDs changed from white to blue. I did it again and they went to red. Every time I change the volume on the TV, the light changes color. This is very weird especially because to change the color with the supplied LED remote, you have to aim the thing at the light. But I have to aim the volume adjuster at the TV and the color changes.
I didn't go downstairs but maybe the fish tank is also changing colors, if it is, my fish will get PTSD

Now what do I do?

 

[DaveK]

I thought you would have known better, Paul. You should have used LED lighting from a major supplier, such as Kessil, EcoTech or Aqua Illumination. (grin) Since they are controlled via wifi, your TV remote control wouldn't be causing problems (grin)

 

[Paul B]

I just finished my new motorized Steam Punk lamp. It has a "fire" inside and when you turn the valve handles, it winds the mechanism on the Grand Fathers clock and spins the gears and tiny bicycle chain for about 5 minutes. The right valve handle moves the gong hammer. It can be dimmed.

Video

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Very Nice ! Paul your quite the artist !

 

[DaveK]

Another great artistic project, Paul. Maybe you should set it up next to your reef tank and tell everyone it's a controller for the tank. (grin)